Photochemical and Microbial Degradation of Insecticides

Insecticides are inherently toxic substances. It is thus essential that their toxic residues in different components of the environment are contained so that consequent hazards arising due to their misuse/excessive use, are minimized. Among the various biotic and abiotic processes, photochemical and microbial degradations are the major pathways of insecticide degradation and detoxification in soil and water. Whereas UV-and sunlight play a crucial role in the degradation of insecticides in air, water, on soil and plant surfaces, microbial degradation is more predominant in soil and water. Methodologies are now available by which such processes, individually or in combinations can be utilized for the detoxification of pesticide residues in soil and water. Some of the recent developments in this field are briefly described.